Sophomore Kayli Boozer’s beam routine was stunning in its elegance. She approached the beam with all the confidence of a seasoned gymnast. The combination of grace and self-assurance — not to mention her stuck gainer full off the side dismount — earned her a score of 10 from one judge and 9.9 from the other, for a career best of 9.95.
Some gymnasts might have rested on their laurels, but Boozer was hungry for more. She rode the high of the 9.95 on the beam through a stellar floor routine, which earned a 9.9. Two routines, two career bests.
Boozer has burst onto the scene as one of the most stalwart competitors in the No. 19 Michigan women’s gymnastics team’s lineup and only further solidified that position with her performance Friday against No. 16 Ohio State.
“I don’t know, in my 36 years, if I’ve ever seen an athlete go from one end of the spectrum to the other over the course of a summer (the way Boozer has),” Wolverines coach Bev Plocki said.
Plocki’s pride in Boozer’s improvement was palpable, but she also highlighted the need to make sure that Boozer’s mental preparation keeps up with the rapid ascent of her gymnastics capabilities.
“I said to her right before she went on floor, ‘You have to have a tight mind,’ ” Plocki said. “You know what you need to do, technically, stay focused on that. Because sometimes when somebody comes onto the scene like a flash, sometimes they do a little bit of — BLOOP. So we’re gonna keep working on that with her.”
Plocki might worry about Boozer’s level-headedness, but she showed no signs of distraction on her floor routine. The highlight of the routine came on her first tumbling pass, where she made her stuck double tuck handspring look effortless.
“Kayli Boozer is amazing, and I love her so much,” graduate Carly Bauman said. “She’s really transformed from her freshman year to now, so it’s been indescribable to watch her grow and flourish.”
Against the Buckeyes, Boozer helped Michigan turn around its meet after lackluster rotations on vault and bars had the Wolverines trailing by a 0.025 margin. Her career best 9.95 score on balance beam won the beam title, and her 9.9 score on the floor exercise trailed only Bauman’s 9.925. Both routines were key moments in Michigan’s 196.600-196.025 victory.
It’s extremely rare to see a gymnast appear in the lineup and immediately take the reins as a reliable scorer, but that’s exactly what Boozer has done. She didn’t compete her freshman year, but now, through the first five meets of her sophomore campaign, she averages scores of 9.75 on balance beam and 9.825 on floor exercise. Boozer’s reliability is especially important given the Wolverines’ youth this season, as Michigan starts at least two freshmen on each apparatus.
Despite her crucial role against Ohio State, Boozer downplays her own ascent.
“I just try to think the same (way) that I do in practice,” Boozer said. “One thing that I have improved on and want to keep building on is my confidence, and helping my teammates find their confidence, especially as the season goes on. … We’re getting stronger and stronger and more comfortable where we are each week.”
With two new career bests in the 9.9s, Boozer should certainly feel confident about her routines. According to Plocki, Boozer could debut on vault in an upcoming meet, adding a third apparatus to her repertoire. The Wolverines should anticipate that move — for Michigan, more Boozer seems to be a good thing.
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